The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-15

when she returned from work she was care
full to lock the door, lest perchance, weak
ness should again overtake her.
She was sitting late one afternoon with
lstlesSly folded hands, resting awhile in the
chair, into which she had dropped from
sheer exhaustion on his entrance trying to
gain little strength before assuming the
mask of cheerfulnesS with which she al
ways greeted Jacks Homecoming, when she
heard his steps hurriedly mounting the
stairs, and before she could reach the door it
was rudely shaken by the fierce onslaught of
his fists
Jill, Jill" he gasped, breathlessly, ''open
quick, quick an let me in, girl
She threw open the door, and as she did
so figure with pale, terrified face and
trembling, quivering features rushed past
her and entered the room beyond, painting
Lock it again, Jill, quick! THEY'LL be in
after me if yer don't hurry
She hastily obeyed his command, and
then, with heavy dull fear Of she knew
not what, followed him into the next room.
At first she did not see him, then from
among some torn and ragged garments
hanging upon the wall appeared a boyish
face from which all brightness and youth
had fled and left it haggard, CHASTITY and
guilt-laden. Could this be Jack, the care
less, irresponsible lad to whom fear had ever
been stranger-this panic-stricken, quiv-
ering creature, hiding from even the
shadow of his Imagination! In a moment
his need had restored Jil's strength; ignor-
ant, yet apprehension of the cause of his
terror, she approached him, cast aside the
miserable draperies, laid her slim young arm
tenderly about his neck with gesture of
protection, and, looking pityingly into the
shrinking blue eyes said, reaSsuringly:
''Jacky, my dear, what is itH'
He gazed nervously, timidly about, and
she OWNED his fear and hushed it.
Don't be afraid, dear, ther amt no
one here but us Don't be scared; I'll help
yer, whatever you done -
Thus comforted the lad bent his head-the
head so like her own-cloSe to her and
whispered few scarcely audible words in
her ear. As he did SO horrible pallor like
that he had seen on it once before, whit
ened the girls face even to the very lips A
new agony assailed him-what if she were
to die again, and this time he should fail to
rea waken her!
Jill, he cried, his voice broken by weep
ing, don't look like that. "Oh, Jill done
it for you See
She recoiled hastily and involuntarily as
he held forth his hand, and opening it's
fingers disclosed a roll of clumpied dirty
bills; then, seeing the effect her horror
was having upon him, gathered to-
gether all her strength and with only one
passing shiver of repulsion stretched out her
hand and took from him the price of his sin
as one would graspa quantity of sharp
knife blades; then, summoning a beautiful
smile to her quivering features, she leaned
forward and kissed tenderly the colorless,
trembling lips, saying:
''Jacky, you done an awful thing, my
dear; but never youfret, we'll make things
all right again.
Jills plan was not allowed to mature, for
earlier than she had expected, Jacks theft
was discovered. He did not go out the next
morning, but about 10 O'Clock there came
the sound of a strange, heavy footstep upon
the stairs of the poor tenement in Salvation
alley; a loud, peremptory knock shook the
fraii door, and a coarse but not unkindly
voice demanded John or Jack Rood
pale, awkward lad responded to his
call, and without relnonstrance or hesita-
ton, save for moment granted by the Of
ficer, which in sight of the latter was spent
in a passionate leave-taking of a slender
girl who sat weeping violently at a little
distance, the boy accompanied his conduc-
tor to the police headquarters. Arrived
there, the young prisoner. with a gentle
ness and candor that Immediately won him
favor, confessed his crime and restored the
money. His confession was made with
rough elOquence that moved even the stolid
officers of justice.
Yer see, sir" he said, ''Jill an me we's
left all alone in tn ally. Mother she died in
tn winter an | warn't ever very fortunate.
/ allus was meanin' to do somethin', but /
didn't hev no luck till lately Jill, she was
my twin and twas all along o. her | stole
tn money | don't mean ter say as she was
a-knowin' of it, cause she warn't and would
up hindered me. She was allus a-lookin'
out fur me, Jill was, and Id done th' same
fur her if she'd a-needed it, She was alus
big strong girl an more abler sort o. than
me-
The tears filed the lads eyes here and in a
broken, quavering tone, he added, softly:
1--WE kinder thought to myself lately that
] amt quite all right here'--tapping his
forehead--'I seem ter be sorter weak like
an don't think could get long very well
'thout Jill. Oh gentlemen, don't some o
yer know o somethin' ter give Jill 80 make
her what she used TO bes Whatll | do
'thout Jill! I can't look out fur myself,
amt able, an Jill, she's allus took care o
me, but lately she grew so weak'n miser'ble,
SO sufferin'like, that got kinder desp'rate.
couldn't see her a-pinin' away for want o.
somethin ter eat Have yer ever been real
hungry, gentlemen
The sad blue eyes scanned the buxom,
well-fed, comfortable-looking men as he
made the inquiry and shamed them into
guilty consciousness of the difference be-
tween their goodly proportions and the
slender, attenuated frame before them
~ mean real, starvin', gnawin' hungry,
as if somethin' was a-bitin' at yer inside an
yer couldn't shake itoff! Well, ] guess Jill's
felt that way sometimes an kinder cold an
shiv'ry like, too. Yer see, gentlemen,
loves her so that when | thought that may
beshe was sufferin' that way made me kinder
crazy, an when yesterday | sees them bills
a-lyin' careless ON tn desk an no one round,
an thought how many things they'd buy
Jill, p'raps life even, then | Couldn't stand
it an up an takes EN-. 1t were all fur her
| done It. I'd died sooner nor done it fur
myself"